Business Matters – Page 5
-
NewsNew year, new tax challenges
January is always a good time to look ahead and make plans and HMRC is doing its bit to assist firms in that regard. With a raft of announcements in the November Budget there are a number of proposals that, when implemented, will affect how a business runs its tax ...
-
News
Are you paying the right amount?
If you employ people, you need to make sure they are being paid the minimum rates of pay and that you are properly calculating their holiday pay writes Fleur Lewis.
-
News
At sea with the GDPR
In April 2016, the European Union finally passed a dry, but important, piece of legislation, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). EU member states were given a two-year period to implement it into their own national law, writes Adam Bernstein.
-
News
Phoenix companies rising from the ashes
It’s a sad fact of life that businesses can and do fail and the fallout can impact upon many – owners, shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers alike, writes Sarah Carlton.
-
News
VAT: costs or disbursements passed to customers
Anyone running their own VAT-registered business may on occasion pass on costs to their customers that they have incurred on their behalf writes Fleur Lewis.
-
News
Know your fire safety facts
Fire safety is often not the first thing on an owner’s mind in the day-to-day running of a business. But when fire strikes it’s utterly destructive because of the very nature of the materials involved writes Adam Bernstein.
-
News
Making VAT Digital
While Making Tax Digital for income tax and corporation tax has been delayed until at least 2020, it has been confirmed by the government that the introduction of digital reporting for VAT will still begin on 1 April 2019. This is included in the second Finance Bill to be published ...
-
News
What your business needs to know about illegal workers
As we approach Brexit, employers now more than ever before need to ensure their employees have the right to work in their business. In 2016, both the offences and penalties relating to the employment of illegal workers broadened significantly, meaning mistakes can be extremely costly.
-
News
A new debt collection process
A customer is not paying their bill and despite several polite requests you find yourself in position where you’re getting nowhere and the debt remains outstanding writes Adam Bernstein.
-
News
What to do when you receive an employment tribunal claim
If you receive an employment tribunal claim - an ET1 form - Mark Stevens, a solicitor at Veale Wasbrough Vizards, says the priority is to check the initial action required: “Employers have 28 days from receipt of the ET1 to respond to the claim by filing form ET3 with the ...
-
News
Late payers forced to reveal payment practices
Cash flow is a key factor for many small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), particularly for those that struggle frequently with being paid late by their trade customers, writes Fleur Lewis.
-
News
The introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy
The long-awaited Apprenticeship Levy for UK employers came into effect from 6 April 2017. It’s designed to significantly increase the number of apprenticeships in the UK and is an obligation on all qualifying UK employers to fund new apprenticeships from May 2017, writes Mark Stevens.
-
News
Tax implications for the UK as EU divorce begins
Once the UK leaves the EU it is likely the first practical impact will be felt on sales to and purchases from, the remaining EU. The key practical implications are as follows writes Fleur Lewis, partner at Bishop Fleming accountants:
-
News
Family businesses
Family businesses can be challenging to run, as the dynamics of blood relations can lead to emotional decision making and even family bust ups.
-
News
Help make VAT simpler
VAT is a tax that, from the government’s point of view, is very successful. It raised some £117bn last year – 22% of government revenues. And it’s cheap to collect – the VAT-registered trader does most of the work and HMRC just polices it, writes Adam Bernstein.
-
News
Rent, lease or buy?
Acquiring equipment - how should you pay for it? Cash will deplete reserves and could affect cashflow; renting or leasing will have inbuilt charges added on by the supplier, writes Adam Bernstein.
-
News
Brexit negotiations: Protection of rights
As Parliament debates the Bill to leave the European Union, Equality and Human Rights Commission Chairman, David Isaac, has called for equality and human rights impact assessments to be included. “As negotiations begin over the terms of Brexit, any deals reached must be assessed for their impact on people’s rights.
-
News
Extending the life of a family business
Just like people, businesses don’t really die of old age – they die because of accident, disease or deliberate actions. Unlike people though, the majority of family run businesses are disposed of deliberately, because the owners fancy a change or can’t find a family member to take them on, writes ...
-
News
Business rates - what you need to know about the changes
Business rates are based on a property’s potential rental value, taking into account rents paid by surrounding businesses. This is then multiplied by the property’s size and by an annually adjusted multiplier, writes Fleur Lewis, partner at Bishop Fleming accountants.
-
News
Brexit – the finale
In the final instalment of the three-part planning for Brexit special feature, Adam Bernstein considers how employers should handle related staffing issues while also outlining where firms can go for advice.
